Artist vs. Love: How Artists Can Break Your Heart

It can be a number of things: what gallery to choose, where the next job is going to be or what new series to create. We make choices for the better and to live happier. However when it comes to matters of the heart, things can get a little tricky and an artist can loose their way. Which then brings up an important question: The heart or the art?

Marina Abramovic is a very well known performance artist. If you havent seen her work yet you should – it will shake you to the core. She created what is now known as The Artist Manifesto (click here to watch the clip), which includes declarations of what an artist needs and/or should do if they want to have a successful career. One of the declarations states “An artist should not fall in love with another artist” (she repeats this sentence four times).

Marina touches on what has been a debatable topic for years: the relationship between love an art.

We are human beings; which means we yearn to be loved and to love someone or something. Love is what drives us to continue working and create new art. If you read through any art history books, you will see numerous of famous artists who have created amazing work because they either have loved…..and/or lost. Love can be used as a tool for creativity but it can also be an artists couples demise. Let’s go through a few artist relationships to see what I mean:

If artists realtionships end in heartbreak, is Marina right? Are artists incapable of dating one another? Is heartbreak actually a good thing for artists to experience for inspiration?

To be honest – who knows! I have always been told by fellow artists and professors and an artists life can be a lonely life. That our number one love is art and everything else just falls by the wayside. But not every artist is the same and there are art couples out there who have lasted through the years together. In the end, it all depends on who you want to spend your life with.

What are your thoughts on love an art? Is it possible that artists can co-exist together or do you agree with Marina? Let me know in the comments below!